1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wig hangers.
2. Discussion of Background Information
It is desirable to store wigs when not required for use in a way which preserves their shape and which, however, does not take up more space than necessary. A variety of stands is available in the marketplace, but while a stand may be satisfactory to maintain the wig shape, for example by incorporating a mannequin head on a base or providing some form of head-shaped framework, the stand has to have something to stand on when the wigs are stored which is consumptive of space and, additionally, stands tend to be of a height corresponding to the longest wig it is likely to be designed to store, and any shorter wig accordingly takes up more space when stored than is strictly necessary.
The patent literature includes a number of disclosures of wig stands and also of wig hangers. In particular, GB1151455(A) and DE2626307A1 disclose wig hanger constructions consisting of a hook connected via a laterally extending member to a relatively thin arched support structure. Hangers of the type disclosed in these two specifications support the wig from the inside only over a relatively narrow area running from front to back of the wig. This means that the wig tends to go out of shape when stored for any material length of time.
An alternative known construction of wig hanger consists of two interlocking oval plastics rings, one of which can be clipped inside the other so that the plane of each ring is perpendicular to the plane of the other, and attached to the narrower end of one of the oval rings is an extension which, when the wider end of the oval ring is upwards, goes down sideways and then loops upwards to a position over the top of the oval ring and terminates in a hook-shaped end which can be slipped over a suspension rail. A circular ring may be fitted to the two oval rings when assembled, the plane of the circular ring being perpendicular to the planes of the two oval rings, so that the wider end of the ovoid shape formed by the three rings has a horizontal support running round it. The complete assembly accordingly provides a framework of generally egg shape, wider end upwards, on to which a wig may be placed. A disadvantage of his construction is that the hanger acts merely as a hanger, i.e. it does not act as a stand in any way.